Leashes and other restraints or leads are common for use with a companion pet, but are frequently unused by the pets owner due to convenience and other reasons described herein. As leash laws in most communities are becoming more stringent and more routinely enforced, however, it is becoming less desirable to permit a companion pet (particularly a dog) to roam freely and unleashed. As a consequence, walking such pets while they are confined on leashes is becoming increasingly prevalent.
Conventionally, the leash and collar/harness utilized with companion pets are separate devices which are only capable of being removably attached to each other. Although the conventional leash and collar combination works well with many animals and in a number of circumstances, it may be inconvenient to use the separate devices in certain circumstances. For example, animal owners frequently do not desire to carry an additional object, thereby limiting their freedom of movement. In the absence of a leash, however, animal owners may be required to bend over and grasp directly onto the animal's collar in order to control the animal.
One inconvenience that is commonly experienced when walking a pet is the necessity of first obtaining the leash, collar or harness, and securing it to the animal before the walk can commence. Another inconvenience occurs when walking in an area where the leash is not required, such as in open space or at a dog park, and removing the leash from the pet while the pet is still restrained. When not in use, the owner is required to carry the leash, which can be a further inconvenience. In this manner, the leash may also become lost or misplaced during or before the walk, or the constant securing and unsecuring of the leash may cause problems when the user attempts to restrain the animal.
When not in use, the leash may become tangled, and a retractable type leash may become jammed. Impatient pets do not typically respond well to delay, and this waiting may lead to overanxious pet behavior such as jumping, whining, etc., and further increase the effort of attaching the leash to the pet's collar. If the leash cannot be quickly located, a pet owner may even resort to using items such as ropes or cords as a restraining device, which are typically not designed for use with pets.
Recent improvements to leashes include retractable leash assemblies that often have bulky, spring-loaded mechanisms housed inside. There are also leash assemblies available that provide a spring loaded leash in a hand-held assembly, which is retractable within the housing of the leash, and that can be carried by the user of the leash assembly. These known hand-held leash assemblies are typically too large and heavy for the animal to carry by itself, and are typically bulky and cumbersome even for carrying by the user, often causing discomfort to the user while attempting to control the animal by only a slim handle portion of the leash housing. As the spring-loaded assemblies contain several moving parts, each of which is subject to damage due to misuse or wear and tear, these types of leash assemblies also tend to break or become damaged during use. Therefore, the lifespan of the spring-loaded assembly is often cut short, requires maintenance, etc., as a result of the multiplicity of moving parts. Finally, these types of leash assemblies are complex and expensive to manufacture.
More recent developments in leash technologies include the introduction of wearable leash assemblies that allow an animal to carry the leash while not in use by the owner of the animal, including “emergency leads.” However, these prior art leads are lacking in several critical respects. First, the assemblies are not easily attached to the collar of the animal, or are specific to one size or breed of animal alone, and may eliminate the option of completely removing the leash assembly when the animal is indoors or otherwise is not in need of restraint. Second, these assemblies provide inadequate handles for restraining an animal, and often provide leash lengths that are too short for most animals, including larger breeds of dogs, who typically enjoy walking a distance away from their owner. Third, given the relatively small size of these typical leash assemblies, the prior art devices typically do not provide a braking means for restraining the animal at a distance other than the full length of the leash. And fourth, the leash assemblies do not typically provide identification means in the event the animal and the owner become separated. Other problems with these prior art devices include numerous moving parts, leash materials that can easily break or become tangled during use, etc.
Certain non-emergency or “full service” leashes also include assemblies that may be worn around the collar of the animal when it is not in use, but removed if desired by the user. Several of these leash assemblies are described in the Summary of the Invention below. One common problem with these prior art assemblies is that they are too heavy or cumbersome to be worn by most companion pets when the pet is moving at even a steady walk, let alone running or moving freely and not restrained by the leash. For example, the prior art includes a number of bulky and heavy leash assemblies which dangle from the animals' collar in such a way as to interfere with the movement of the animal, including swinging and striking the animal while it is in movement. In addition, many of these prior art leash assemblies have handles that are either too small or provide insufficient surface area for grasping and controlling the animal when the leash is in use, or have no way of identifying the animal if the animal becomes lost or runs away from its owner. These leashes are also often affixed to the collar or harness worn by the animal in such a manner that makes it difficult to remove the leash assembly when it is no longer desired.
Another problem with prior art leashes and leads is experienced when the dog or companion pet wants to go into the water, such as a lake, river, pool, etc. Prior art leashes are too bulky and cumbersome to move around in the water while being worn by the animal, and may become detached from the collar and snag on loose branches or rocks at the bottom of the lake or river, thereby creating a hazard to the animal. Thus, it is desirable to provide a leash assembly that is light weight and compact so that it may be worn by the animal and carried securely on the collar while the animal is in the water. Furthermore, prior art leashes do not provide means for draining water from the leash, should water inadvertently enter through the opening in the casing for the leash or cord, thereby adding to the weight of the leash assembly. Thus it is also desirable to provide one or more drain holes so that water is allowed to drain out of the leash assembly once the animal has left the water.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an improved leash for dogs or other companion pets and like animals, which selectively attaches to a ring or loop by way of a buckle, and which remains with the animal at all times so that it is convenient and ready for immediate use. It is another object of the invention to provide a leash assembly that attaches to the collar or harness worn by the pet at a primary location and at a second location other than the primary location for ease of carrying of the leash assembly by the pet, and to accommodate for a greater freedom of movement of the owner and pet. It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a full length leash that is housed within a compact and wearable assembly, which in total weighs less than about 125 grams, and preferably weighs less than about 85 grams. Other objects of the present invention are provided in the Summary of the Invention.